Lateral flow assay test kits are currently available for testing for a wide variety of medical and environmental conditions or compounds, such as a hormone, a metabolite, a toxin, or a pathogen-derived antigen. FIG. 1 shows a typical lateral flow test strip 10 that includes a sample receiving zone 12, a labeling zone 14, a detection zone 15, and an absorbent zone 20 on a common substrate 22. These zones 12-20 typically are made of a material (e.g., chemically-treated nitrocellulose) that allows fluid to flow from the sample receiving zone 12 to the absorbent zone 220 by capillary action. The detection zone 15 includes a test region 16 for detecting the presence of a target analyte in a fluid sample and a control region 18 for indicating the completion of an assay test.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show an assay performed by an exemplary implementation of the test strip 10. A fluid sample 24 (e.g., blood, urine, or saliva) is applied to the sample receiving zone 12. In the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the fluid sample 24 includes a target analyte 26 (i.e., a molecule or compound that can be assayed by the test strip 10). Capillary action draws the liquid sample 24 downstream into the labeling zone 14, which contains a substance 28 for indirect labeling of the target analyte 16. In the illustrated example, the labeling substance 28 consists of an immunoglobulin 30 with an attached dye molecule 32. The immunoglobulin 30 specifically binds the target analyte 26 to form a labeled target analyte complex. In some other implementations, the labeling substance 28 is a non-immunoglobulin labeled compound that specifically binds the target analyte 26 to form a labeled target analyte complex.
The labeled target analyte complexes, along with excess quantities of the labeling substance, are carried along the lateral flow path into the test region 16, which contains immobilized compounds 34 that are capable of specifically binding the target analyte 26. In the illustrated example, the immobilized compounds 34 are immunoglobulins that specifically bind the labeled target analyte complexes and thereby retain the labeled target analyte complexes in the test region 16. The presence of the labeled analyte in the sample typically is evidenced by a visually detectable coloring of the test region 16 that appears as a result of the accumulation of the labeling substance in the test region 16.
The control region 18 typically is designed to indicate that an assay has been performed to completion. Compounds 35 in the control region 18 bind and retain the labeling substance 28. The labeling substance 28 typically becomes visible in the control region 18 after a sufficient quantity of the labeling substance 28 has accumulated. When the target analyte 26 is not present in the sample, the test region 16 will not be colored, whereas the control region 18 will be colored to indicate that assay has been performed. The absorbent zone 20 captures excess quantities of the fluid sample 24.
Although visual inspection of lateral flow assay devices of the type described above are able to provide qualitative assay results, such a method of reading these types of devices is unable to provide quantitative assay measurements and therefore is prone to misinterpretation errors. Automated and semi-automated lateral flow assay readers have been developed in an effort to overcome this deficiency.
In one approach, a portable lateral flow assay reader performs assays on bodily fluids to detect the presence of certain hormones, glucose, or other bodily fluids of interest. Membrane test strips containing a fluid sample are inserted directly into a receiving port of a reader. The receiving port is shielded to improve sensitivity and reduce the entry of stray or ambient light into the reader. The reader includes a light source and one or more sensors that detect the intensity of light reflected from the detection zones of the test strips that are inserted into the receiving port.
In another approach, a reader detects an intensity of a detection signal arising in one or more measurement zones in a detection zone of a lateral flow assay test strip as a result of the presence of an immobilized labeled target analyte complex. The reader generates a baseline of signal intensity from the measurement zones by interpolating between values of the detection signal outside of the measurement zones and inside of the detection zone. The reader quantifies a value of signal intensity representative of the immobilized labeled target analyte complex with respect to the baseline. In this process, the reader locates a beginning boundary and an ending boundary for the one or more measurement zones on the test strip, allowing an automatic or semi-automatic analytical instrument, or a human reader, to determine certain results of the lateral flow assay. The signals from the measurement zones are quantified or compared with respect to the baseline. Quantified values corresponding to the respective concentration of compounds in different measurement zones may then be compared with one another to detect the presence of antigens in the sample.
The measurements that are made by the above-described lateral flow assay readers are based on signals from regions of the test strips that typically are significantly larger than the regions of interest. As a result, these measurements tend to have high noise levels and, consequently, these measurements may yield inaccurate or incorrect results when low concentrations of analytes are involved.